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Tristan Thompson emerging as a leader for Cleveland Cavaliers

TRISTAN-THOMPSON-KYRIE-HOR.JPG

Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson (13) shakes hands with Kyrie Irving, right, after the Cavs defeated Boston, 97-91, on Friday. Thompson had 29 points in the win, and coach Byron Scott said today he has emerged as a leader on the team both on and off the court.
(AP)

Notable: Luke Walton (right ankle sprain) and C.J. Miles (concussion) are out. Daniel Gibson (left elbow) is questionable. . . . The Pacers have won eight of their last 10 games, and trail the New York Knicks in the battle for second place in the Eastern Conference.. . . In the last 26 games, Indiana has given up an average of 90 points per game. . . . In the last meeting between these teams, the Pacers held the Cavaliers to 23 points in the second half, the fewest allowed in a half by Indiana since it joined the NBA in 1976.

-- Jodie Valade

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- One unexpected positive development as the Cavaliers' season winds down is the emergence of power forward Tristan Thompson as one of the team's leaders.

"I think he's always been one of our leaders,'' Scott said as the Cavs took their two-game winning streak to Indiana. "On this team right now, I think we've got different leaders.

"The one thing that was great with our team in New Orleans is we had different leaders. Tyson [Chander] was our emotional leader. Chris [Paul] was our floor leader. From a physical standpoint and kind of an enforcer, that was David West. In the locker room we had different guys who were leaders.

"And I think it's the same we have here right now with this young group of guys that we have. Tristan and Kyrie [Irving] are loose, they talk. Tristan probably talks a little more. Our locker room leaders are probably Shaun [Livingston] and Luke [Walton]. I don't think any team has just one guy. We've got multiple guys on this team that have to keep developing, and they all lead in different ways.''

Though Thompson has improved significantly as a player this season - being mentioned as at least a candidate for the league's Most Improved Player award - the last week has been especially telling.

First, he was one of seven players in the league nominated for the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award presented by the Pro Basketball Writers Association in recognition of his community service.

Then he offered the most strenuous defense of Scott to this point, referring to him as a father figure and calling rumors of him being on the hot seat "bogus.''

After telling the media his thoughts on Scott, Thompson went and told his coach. Scott appreciated the sentiment but was more pleased to see Thompson exert himself on the floor and in the locker room.

"He's probably more of our emotional, talkative guy,'' Scott said of Thompson's leadership style. "He's the one guy who's constantly talking, and that's what Tyson was, too. I think he fills that role for us right now.

"That's just him. That's just the nature of Tristan. He's always, since I've known him, been a pretty talkative guy. I think for it to relate on the basketball court has been a different transformation and it's been great for him. He's always talking in the plane and on the bus, everywhere else we go. But the one thing we couldn't get him to do last year was talk on the floor [defensively].

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